There exists an ever growing need in the aviation industry to increase aircraft efficiencies and reduce the amount of fossil fuels consumed. Winglets have been designed and installed on many aircraft including large multi-passenger aircraft to increase efficiency, performance, and aesthetics. Such winglets usually consist of a horizontal body portion that may attach to the end of a wing and an angled portion that may extend vertically upward from the horizontal body portion. For example, a winglet may be attached to a pre-existing wing of an aircraft to increase flight efficiency, aircraft performance, or even to improve the aesthetics of the aircraft. Similarly, simple wing extensions have been used to address similar goals.
However, the cost to install a winglet or a wing extension on an aircraft is often prohibitive due to the requirement to reengineer and certify the wing after the winglet or extension is installed. Thus, aftermarket installation of winglets and wing extensions has generally been reserved for large aircraft owned and operated by large aircraft companies.
Existing winglets and wing extensions have limited utility, in that each winglet and wing extension must be designed and certified for a specific wing of a specific aircraft model. Moreover, addition of a winglet or wing extension to an aircraft typically increases the loads on the wing, thereby decreasing the usable life of the wing and/or requiring addition of substantial structural reinforcement to the wing. The weight of this structural reinforcement detracts from any efficiencies gained by addition of the winglet in the first place. Additionally, existing winglets and wing extensions, which are fixed, are unable to adapt to changes in in-flight conditions. Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for improved aircraft winglets and wing extensions.